Bleeding Love
by The Thorned Rose
Summary: A vampire is either born or created. Vampires born into the curse are quite common. However, the creation of a vampire only occurs once in a lifetime. It's usually a gift only given to the vampire's bride…until tonight. Seto x Tea
1. Chapter 1

A vampire is either born or created. Vampires born into the curse are quite common. However, the creation of a vampire only occurs once in a lifetime. It's usually a gift only given to the vampire's bride…until tonight.

Seto Kaiba was out for a midnight stroll when his heightened hearing picked up on a small cry a few blocks down. He also heard a much louder group of guys whooping and carousing. Normally, he would have ignored these sounds, but something tonight felt like it was calling to him. Something gave him the overwhelming urge to investigate the source of the weak whimpers. As he came closer to the place he heard the cry, the smell of blood overwhelmed his senses.

The particular scent was vaguely familiar, but much stronger than he was used to. He couldn't pinpoint the owner, but he knew it would be someone familiar. Whatever happened, there was going to be blood, and from the scent of it, a lot of it.

He rounded the corner and found a group of guys surrounding something. He whistled to them and they all turned to his direction finally giving him a good view of what they were surrounding. It was a girl. He recognized her as his rival, Yugi Mouto's cheerleader, Tea Gardener.

He scoffed and was about to leave when a flash back came to him…

 _He was standing on the roof of a building at Duelist Kingdom. He was willing to risk everything to save his little brother from Maximillian Pegasus. His life points was low and he was counting on Yugi to forfeit knowing that if he zapped the last of his life points, he would be blown off the roof. He was counting on Yugi's conscience to get the best of him. The blast was about to hit him when Tea ran in front of him to deflect the attack. Yugi called off the attack however, before it could harm her. He won the duel but he lost his self-respect. How could he let her risk her life, when he was immortal?_

She had also helped him and his little brother several times after that. As much as he wanted to stay out of it, he couldn't. He approached the group and said, "Let her go."

"Why should we?" asked one of the thugs surrounding her.

Kaiba let out an annoyed sigh and pulled a revolver from his pocket, "Would this be convincing enough?" he asked irritably.

Many of the guys backed away instantly, but the one he had just been talking to, tapped his chin as if he were thinking. "Nah," he said as he pulled out a gun of his own and shot Kaiba in the chest. A painful stinging sensation coursed through his body, but he didn't back down. He let go of the wound and stood up just as tall as he had been prior to the shot.

The man with the pistol was astonished as Kaiba asked, "You want to try that again?" The man still in shock shot another 3 times, but this time Kaiba was ready and caught the bullets. With inhuman speed, he ran up behind the man with the pistol and pressed his gun to the guy's temple. He then whispered, "This is the part where you run away." As if on cue, he began to run with the rest of his friends as fast as their legs could carry them.

Kaiba wasn't worried about them saying anything. They were so drunk, they probably wouldn't remember anything from tonight; and, if they did remember, who would believe them.

Kaiba then walked over to Tea and placed his lips to her forehead. He could feel her life energy was quickly fading. There was no hope of reviving her. A desolate feeling crossed his heart and he knew, he couldn't let it end like this. They weren't friends nor did he particularly care for her, but he knew she was a good person. She didn't know this, but he always watched her walking to the orphanage he grew up in. She volunteered there after school and on weekends. Something about her just made him want to be sure she made it there safe.

Without further ado, he knelt over her body and gently sunk his teeth into a wound on her neck. 'So much for my vampire bride,' he thought with slight amusement. He never wanted to be married anyway so it was not much of a sacrifice in his eyes.

Her blood was sweet. It was almost intoxicating to him. He knew he had to stop before he lost control. He opened his mouth and wiped the blood from his mouth. He then took off his trench coat and wrapped it around her to keep her warm.

Rain started to pour down, so he was able to run home undetected by another human soul.

When he made it home, he gently placed her on the couch and wrapped her in a blanket. Mokuba, upon hearing the front door shut, ran down the stairs and saw his older brother tending to Tea. He gasped at the sight of her and asked, "Seto, What happened to Tea? Is she going to be alright?"

Kaiba was focused on checking her condition, so he didn't look back at his brother as he said, "She was attacked by a group of guys in the alley by the bakery. As far as her being 'alright,' that depends on your definition of 'alright.'"

"What do you mean?" Mokuba asked worriedly.

"I turned her," Kaiba replied simply, "She now has the Vampire's curse."

Mokuba gasped gleefully and embraced his brother from behind. Kaiba turned around confused and Mokuba continued, "That's great big brother, I always knew you would find your bride."

Kaiba scoffed, "She is not my bride. I just couldn't let someone as pure as she is, die such a horrible death."

Mokuba wondered if Kaiba was talking to him or if he was trying to convince himself about why he chose to save Tea. Mokuba always sensed his older brother had a soft spot for Tea. This only proved it further.

Mokuba was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw Tea begin to tremble. Kaiba nervously said, "Get me a cup out of the fridge."

Mokuba quickly ran to the kitchen and pulled out a container from their last hunt. He placed a straw in the cup and brought it to Seto.

It wasn't 2 seconds later when Tea's eyes opened, they had turned purple. Without thinking about her manners, she grabbed the cup from Mokuba and began to drink. The straw was useless to her, considering how thirsty she felt. When she finished the cup, she looked up at the Kaiba brothers and asked, "What is that? That is the best thing I have ever tasted."

Kaiba looked at her perplexed, 'How could she not know?' "Blood," He replied simply.

She started to laugh, thinking it was a joke until she looked down into the glass. Instantly she dropped it and backed away from him. "What have I done?" She asked, "What happened?"

She turned her head and caught a look at herself in the mirror, but there was no reflection. She would have panicked further, but she felt as if lightning just struck her body. She keeled over and would have hit the floor had Kaiba not been there to catch her fall. She started to convulse.

"What is happening?" Mokuba asked.

Kaiba gritted his teeth and replied, "I don't know."

An old man known as James, Kaiba's butler, entered the room. He was the closest thing to a father Seto and Mokuba had since they were adopted by Gozaburo. He was also the only one alive who knew about the Kaiba brothers's curse, because he too was cursed. He explained, "Mr. Kaiba, in order for her to become one with the Vampire who changed her, she must feel the pain he has suffered. Your memories are going to be relived by her."

Kaiba's face paled. There was so much that happened in his life he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. But, he practically gift wrapped it and gave it to her. He had also hoped to keep that part of his life a secret. He was always afraid someone would find out about his past and use it against him. He glared at her with a look of revulsion, but quickly changed when he saw the amount pain that was coursing through her tiny body.

Suddenly, she grasped her chest and the convulsions stopped. He knew she felt the bullet he took and the transformation was complete. When she woke she would be confused, scared, and upset, but she would be alive. That was all he could hope for. He was still apprehensive about her knowing his past, but part of him knew he could trust her.

He carried her up to his bedroom and laid her across the bed. He crossed the room to where his desk was and sat down to work on his laptop. However, his hands refused to move. He was lost deep in thought, 'What had possessed him to save her? How would she react once she was awake? When will she wake?' She may have had a sped up version of his past, but reliving it would take quite some time. Knowing he was getting nowhere with his work or his answers, he changed into his pajamas and slept in his computer chair. After all, it wouldn't be his first time falling asleep at his desk.

He woke up the next day and she was still unconscious so he got dressed and went to school. Her absence was definitely noticed. Tea for as long as he knew her, always had perfect attendance. There was only one time he could remember that she was absent from school and he overheard she was out with the flu the next day. Tea was extremely straight laced and her absence sent up several red flags to her friends, Yugi, Joey, and Tristan.

When Kaiba got home from school with Mokuba, they immediately went up the stairs to check on her. She was still unconscious, but her color was starting to come back. Her phone in her pocket was going off like crazy. Mokuba silenced the phone, knowing his brother's short fuse, and read through the text messages. "Big brother, Don't you think we should let them know she is alright. Everyone is so worried," he asked.

The older Kaiba shook his head, "Her friends will see her soon enough, but we should probably contact her parents and let her know she is….okay."

Mokuba scanned through the contacts and replied, "Seto, I don't see any. None of her contacts say Mom, Dad, or even Home."

Kaiba grabbed the phone and looked at it skeptically, but Mokuba was right. "Humph…I will look into it," he said as he handed the phone back to Mokuba.


	2. Chapter 2

Kaiba searched the internet for any information on Téa's parents. He didn't find much in the beginning, but he eventually came across a newspaper article, "Child loses parents in house fire." It showed a picture of a very young Téa Gardener, holding a Teddy Bear in front of a pile of wood and ash.

He read through the article and discovered that she was 6 when she lost her parents. She had slept over at a friend's house that night when the fire started. The source of the fire was unknown. This new source of information made him curious. He delved deeper and discovered that she had no known family and had been sent from orphanage to orphanage for several years.

He had overheard Yugi talking last year about her getting her own apartment. He knew she lived on the east side of town….

His train of thought was interrupted when he saw her stir in her sleep. She started to shiver. He put down his laptop and pulled a second blanket from the drawer to cover her. As he pulled the second blanket closer to her neck he heard her whisper, "Don't hurt him…please… take me instead."

Kaiba's eyes furrowed and he thought, 'Is she saying that about me?' After all, she was experiencing his past, so could this be when he was with Gozaburo.

Kaiba went downstairs and found Mokuba coloring in coloring book. "What are you drawing," he asked.

Mokuba looked up and replied, "I am coloring a picture for Téa," he held up a coloring page with a cat drawn on it. "Do you think she will like it?" he asked.

Kaiba nodded and replied, "I am sure she will…I suspect she will be waking soon, if you want to come sit with her.

Mokuba nodded and followed him up the stairs. Surely enough when the two Kaibas made it back to Seto's room, they found her tossing and turning. It would only be minutes now. Mokuba sat with his legs crossed next to her in the bed while Kaiba just stood there looming over her. A bright light started to form, blinding both Mokuba and Kaiba. When the light faded they noticed Téa's skin turned slightly lighter, her hair had grown a few inches longer, and her build had become slightly more muscular. That's when it happened, Téa's eyes flashed open, revealing her now purple eyes.

Kaiba's eye grew wide. Although he would never admit it, he had always found Téa extremely attractive. But now, she was gorgeous. Part of the vampires curse was you became the ultimate predator, people are drawn in by your appearance, like a bug becomes attracted to light.

She sat up and tried to stand up, but her legs gave out on her. Mokuba shrieked as she collapsed on the ground. Kaiba walked around the bed to help her up and said, "It is going to take time for you to adjust. Are you hungry?"

Although, she was starving, she thought about what happened earlier and shook her head no. She then looked Kaiba in the eyes and asked, "When you rescued me from those guys earlier. I thought I heard a gunshot…part of me feels like I remember you getting shot. I was just wondering if you were or was I just having a bad dream."

Kaiba then realized, 'She thought his memories were nothing more than a nightmare. Part of him felt offended, but the other part was glad. If she thought the memories of his past were nothing more than her imagination, she wouldn't be able to use it against him.' He shook his head no and replied, "It was nothing more than a dream."

She then turned her head and saw the mirror on the vanity, she still didn't see her reflection. Her next question was, "So is it true? Am I really a vampire?"

Kaiba nodded and the butler arrived at the door with a cup of blood. "Glad to hear you are up dearie. Drink this, it will give you the strength you need to stand." He handed her the cup and she looked into it. Her stomach turned and she said, "I can't do this. What will my friends think?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes and answered, "Your friend Yugi thinks he is a 5000 year old pharaoh. There is not much that you could say to them at this point that would surprise them."

A Tear rolled down her cheek and she asked, "Why did you do this to me?"

Mokuba answered, "You would have died Téa. Big brother did this to save you."

Téa mumbled under her breath, "This is a fate worse than death." Kaiba's eyes narrowed, he had sacrificed his chance to give his vampire bride a chance at eternal life and Téa is being ungrateful. He was about to give her a piece of his mind when she said, "I don't want to eat people." To this comment Mokuba burst into fits of giggles. Téa turned to Kaiba and noticed he was smirking as well. "What?" she asked.

Mokuba then explained, "Some vampires feed off of humans but we choose not to. Big Brother knows a butcher and as long as we give the guy money, he delivers us the left over blood from when he is done for the day."

Téa then points to her cup and said, "So this is not from a human?" She picks it up and begins to slowly drink it.

Kaiba replied, "Nah, it is just from that yappy Mutt that follows Yugi around."

Téa started to choke and Mokuba glared at his older brother. "He is kidding," Mokuba explained.

Kaiba smirked and waited until she finished the cup. He then said, "Let's see if you can get up yet."

He stood close in case she were to fall again. She stood up and although her legs were wobbly, she was able to walk. Kaiba then explained, "You can't leave the house until I can get you a sun stone. It will protect you from being burned by the sun. I ordered it shortly after I brought you home yesterday, but it won't be here for at least another day or two."

Téa's eyebrow raised and she replied, "You ordered it? Where do you get this stuff from, Secretly a ?"

"The black market," He then showed me a ring on his right hand. The stone was a beautiful reddish-violet color.

"What do I do before then?" she asked curiously.

Mokuba answered, "Lounge around the house, play video games, call your friends, you can do pretty much anything as long as you're inside the house. We even have a pool! It is going to be so much fun having you around for a few days."

"Go swimming? Doesn't water make vampires melt or something?" she questioned.

Kaiba tried not to laugh and answered, "No, that's witches. And it only happens in the Land of Oz"

Téa realized her mistake and began to giggle.

…

Téa sat in the living room playing video games with Mokuba. Kaiba sat on the couch across from them. He had never seen a vampire creation before and he was extremely cautious about it. Especially since Mokuba was involved. Vampires may be almost invincible, but they can still get hurt. Kaiba unconsciously reached his hand over the spot that used to contain a bullet.

She couldn't seem to focus on the game though. Too many questions ran through her mind. After her character died she turned to the Kaiba brothers and asked, "How did you two become vampires?"

Mokuba answered, "We were born that way. Maria, our mother, was a mortal and our father, Darien, was a Vampire. Our father was 232-years-old when he met our mother. When they first met, they hated each other. He was a player and she was straight-laced. They were constantly bickering about something. But one night, she found him lying on a park bench drunk. She woke him up enough to stagger to her car and brought him home to sober up. When he woke up, he gained a new level of respect for her. Eventually they became inseparable. After they were married, Daniel explained the truth about himself and gifted her the curse. Several years later, they had us."

"Oh, what time do they get home? I would l love to meet them," Téa asked excitedly.

Kaiba stood up with a sour expression, "You don't. Theyare dead." He was about to leave when Mokuba gasped. Kaiba turned around to find Mokuba holding Téa up. Kaiba crossed the room and lifted her chin to see her eyes roll into the back of her head. "Get away from her Mokuba! Now!" Kaiba screamed.

Mokuba argued, "But I am stronger Seto. I can help."

"I said now!" Kaiba finished as he pushed his brother to the side and pinned her to the couch.

** Téa's (Seto's) Memory**

Téa was walking down a large corridor she saw two men, a woman, and two small children. The larger man was a heavy set man with greying hair. He wore a bright red suit with gold buttons. "I have a deal for you brother, make me immortal and I will make you a very wealthy man. You will have more money than you can spend in 10,000 lifetimes."

The one the man in the suit called his brother replied, "Gozaburo, I would if I could. You know I would give you the world, if it would make you happy but I can't. I have used up my chance to change someone and I don't regret it."

"Really Daniel, you don't regret it?" Gozaburo asked. Suddenly a man coursed through the room faster than you could blink and ripped Daniel's heart out of his chest.

Téa screamed in horror. This can't be happening. "Put it back! Please, Put it back!"

The heart turned to ash as it was crushed and the body broke into pieces as if it were a porcelain doll somebody dropped. The pieces continued to break down and blew away in the wind.

** End of Memory**

"Put it back! Please, Put it back!" Téa screamed.

Kaiba froze, those were the exact words his mother screamed when his father was killed. Téa bucked and thrashed trying to free herself from the memory but Kaiba held her still. The unconscious mind is much more dangerous than the conscious mind. It is unpredictable.

Finally Téa's eyes opened and he left go. She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shirt. "He crushed his heart! He crushed his heart!" she cried out. She grabbed her head and asked, "What is happening to me? Why am I seeing such horrible things?"

After hearing what she said, he pushed her away, he knew what she remembered and he was not about to take a trip down memory lane with her. It was better left with her thinking it was some kind of horrible dream. He looked down at her stunned face and replied, "I have to get work done."

He walked to his office and shut the door. Then, he sat down and opened his laptop. He started to type when a knock sounded on the door.

He got up and said, "I thought I told you…" he swung open the door to find his butler standing there, "Oh, I thought you were…"

James interrupted, "I know what you thought Mr. Kaiba. That is why I came here in the first place. Mr. Kaiba, I want to ask you to try to be more understanding with Ms. Gardener. Since she is going through the transition, many things will happen. Besides adjusting to heightened senses, she will also be adjusting to heightened emotions. She may even begin to feel ill as the venom courses through her veins. It is truly a sickening sensation."

"How do you know this James?" Kaiba asked.

James sat down in a chair across from Kaiba and explained, "I wasn't a natural born vampire. I used to be a scientist for Gozaburo. Gozaburo paid extremely good money to get a vail of vampire venom off the black market. I was working in the lab one day, when suddenly I felt something in my arm. I looked over and saw Gozaburo injecting me with something. I didn't realize it was the venom until it was too late. I started to convulse and see things that happened to a vampire that I never met in my life."

Kaiba listened intently to James story. He just assumed that James had always been a vampire. James had excellent control over his power which is something very few vampires learn to master. He let out an aggravated sigh and replied, "I will do my best James."

He got up to return to the living room and saw Téa ask Mokuba, "I don't have to sleep in a coffin, do I? I have a tendency to be claustrophobic." Kaiba began to laugh causing her to jump at the sound. He answered, "We have upgraded to beds in the past dozen centuries. That is just a myth that comes from vampires being undead."

Téa yawned and said, "Well then, I should probably be going home. It is getting late."

She got up to leave but before she could leave the couch, Kaiba was in front of her. "You can't leave. Especially not tonight. You don't have a sunstone yet and we don't know how you will react when you come across human blood. You are new to this so it will be much harder to resist. Until we know for a fact that you aren't a danger to others, you will be living and going to school here."

"A danger to others? Do you really think I would go out of my way to hurt someone?" Téa asked feeling a combination of anger or hurt.

"As a human, I doubt it. But now, you will have to learn to resist your cravings. Once you return to school, the smell of blood will be everywhere. It will overwhelm your senses. It will take everything in your power to control yourself." Kaiba answered.

"I am more than capable of controlling myself around my friends Kaiba." Téa retorted.

Kaiba knew she wasn't going to just drop it. So, he decided to compromise with her, "Fine, if you think you can control yourself around your friends, have Yugi come here tomorrow. If you can keep yourself from biting him, you can go back to school." He knew that this was going to be a complete disaster, but it was going to be an easy fix once she saw how difficult it was to resist, maybe she would listen to him.

"Deal," Téa replied with a determined expression. Kaiba smirked, he couldn't wait to wipe that look right off her face.

The next day, after school had concluded Mokuba called Yugi over to play video games with him and Téa. He explained to Yugi that Seto had saved Téa's life the other night and she was recovering at the mansion. It wasn't the complete truth, but it wasn't a complete lie either.

Kaiba sat on the couch to await his rival's arrival. Despite his distaste for Yugi, he had to make sure that nothing happened to Yugi or Téa. James told him earlier that he saw premonition of Téa losing control. He got up as he heard a car pull down the road. Mokuba came down the stairs and ran outside to greet Yugi. Seto followed him and stood on the porch. Téa ran outside shortly afterwards.

Seto stayed on the porch and simply watched. He could tell Téa was definitely struggling to control herself. When Yugi hugged her, Téa had to bite her lip to stay composed. Yugi then turned to Kaiba and said, "Thank you, for saving her the other night. She looks like she was pretty beat up."

Kaiba grunted in response. Téa, Mokuba, and Yugi then started to walk up the driveway. They were almost at the door, when Yugi tripped over a potted plant and hit his head on a statue standing by the porch. He lifted his head and Téa watched a drop of blood slide down his cheek.

Téa's breathing became ragged at the sight. She looked away and hugged herself, hoping that it would pass. But it didn't. Téa slowly looked up and her eyes turned red. Téa grabbed Yugi and pulled him close. She acted as if she wanted to tell him a secret so he leaned close. Téa looked down at the carotid artery that was exposed and opened her mouth. She was about to quench her thirst when she felt something hard push her away. Before she could realize what was happening, Téa was pinned to the ground by Kaiba.

He brought was a far enough to make Yugi's scent less noticeable. Her eyes turned back to their violet color. Yugi looked on severely confused. Kaiba thought to himself, 'How can I fix this? How can I play this off?"

He looked down at her and got an idea. He smirked to himself and thought, 'Yugi is going to love this.'

Kaiba leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers. She wriggled slightly at first, but eventually returned the kiss. When they broke for air, they were both out of breath. Yugi walked backwards and said, "ummm….I forgot that grandpa wanted me to clean the attic…I will see you later Téa."

Before she could say anything, Yugi spun around and sprinted to his car. The car pulled out of the driveway and sped down the road.

Téa pushed Kaiba off of her and walked back to the mansion, not saying a word. Kaiba had to admit, seeing Téa defeated was a lot less fulfilling than he thought it would be. He pushed himself off the ground and followed her and Mokuba in the house. He looked around for her when he was inside. He was determined taunt her over her embarrassing failure as a vampire. After not finding her anywhere downstairs, he decided to check her room. He climbed the stairs to get to her room. But when he got there, he stopped. He heard crying coming from her room. He reached for the doorknob but couldn't allow himself to open the door. Instead, he turned around and left. Despite their past, he didn't want to see her cry.


	3. Chapter 3

As Kaiba was getting dressed for school the next day, he was deep in thought. As much as he hated to admit it, seeing Téa cry was bothering him. The worst part was he didn't even know why. As he was straightening his tie, he felt a strange sensation in his chest. His heart was beating rapidly and he felt a pain in his stomach. 'What the hell?' he thought. The rapid beating of his heart continued but he ignored it.

Kaiba picked up his jacket and walked towards the staircase. As an afterthought Kaiba stopped at Téa's door to check in on her. He knocked but no one answered. Since the door was slightly ajar, he stepped in and found that the room was empty, but a light was shining through the cracks of the door to the adjoining bathroom. "Téa, we are about to go!" He yelled out.

When no response came, he shrugged it off and stepped out of the room when he heard a large crashing sound. He ran back in and rammed the body into the door. Blood covered every inch of the walls, the floors, and the counters. Téa's body was collapsed on the floor with her head resting on the toilet seat. Suddenly she hoisted her body up half way and vomited blood into the already full toilet. She tried to reach for the handle to flush it, but she ran out of strength and collapsed back to the floor.

Kaiba pressed the button on his jacket and said, "I'm in Téa's room, get in here NOW!"

No sooner did he say this James stepped into the room and said, "Oh my!"

Kaiba rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Well if that isn't the understatement of the century." Kaiba took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. He went to help her up, but she shook her head and tried to push herself up to puke. She failed miserably and managed to puke right on his shoe. Kaiba cringed, but tried to cope with it, knowing she was sick. Once again, he picked her up and made his way over to the bed. He couldn't believe how light she felt right now. She never was heavy, but she felt waiflike. Kaiba turned her on her side and place a garbage can next to her bed. He then stepped outside the room with James, "Is this the vampire venom you were talking about?"

James looked perplexed, "It could be, but I am not sure. When I was going through the change, I was sick but not this sick. I have never seen anything like this before. It is like her body is trying to fight off the venom. By destroying itself."

"Are you trying to tell me, that she is not throwing up what she ate; but, she is actually throwing up her own blood?" Kaiba asked.

Téa vomited again and James replied, "Indeed. This can only end in 2 ways. Either her body accepts the venom and she completes the transformation, or her body rejects the venom and she bleeds to death."

Kaiba looked around, trying to think of something…anything that would help. "Would injecting her with more venom complete the transformation faster?" He asked, as he watched her keel over.

"Perhaps, but it could just make the symptoms worse," the butler answered.

Kaiba took his chances and grabbed her wrist. He bit down on her left wrist. Téa tried to scream, but only blood came rushing out. When Kaiba realized that was not working, he felt his heart begin to slow down. He closed his eyes for a moment to think and that's when he realized, "The ring!"

He slipped the ring off his hand, placed it onto hers, and instantly the vomiting stopped. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she fell into his chest. Kaiba let out a breath of relief, turned to James, and said, "Get the mop, rags, and garbage bags. I am going to call the Elders." Kaiba sat in a chair next to her bed. He looked at the time and realized that he was already an hour late for school. There was no point in going this late. He looked over to Téa, her face was pale and her whole body was covered in blood. This was the second time she almost died, but this time it was his fault. He felt a dull ache in his chest as he stepped out the room. She was doing something to him, but the question is, "What?"

Several Hours later…

When Téa woke up, her room was empty. She struggled to stand and managed to make it to the door when a booming voice said, "What do you think you are doing?"

She looked over and saw Kaiba walking her way, with his laptop in his hand. "I…I feel so weak…" she answered. He stopped in front of her, noticing how her legs seemed to tremble beneath her.

"Come on," he said, "Get back to bed and I will get James to bring a glass up for you."

She nodded and allowed him to help her back to her bed. After a few moments of silence she said, "I am sorry about your bathroom. I don't know what had me so sick this morning…."

Kaiba flipped open his laptop and replied, "I contacted some vampire elders after the incident this morning. Because you weren't born a vampire, you are going to naturally feel sick. However, it appears that your body is rejecting the venom, because you don't want to be a vampire. The more you fight the venom, the sicker you are going to get."

Téa put her head down and said, "I'm trying Kaiba…I am just scared that I am going to hurt someone. After the incident with Yugi, I am absolutely terrified that I am going to lose control again."

Kaiba stopped typing and looked into her eyes. His eyes seemed to connect with her soul as he said, "Téa if you don't try to accept the transformation, you are going to die." He looked anxious and exhausted as he continued, "I don't know why I chose to save you that night in the alley, but I am not about to let you give up now. Accept this…your literally life depends on it." James walked in at that moment with a glass. She drank it and instantly started feeling better. After getting about half of the glass down Kaiba continued, "The Elders would like to meet you. Your Sun Stone should be arriving today, so we will meet with them afterwards in Transylvania."

"Transylvania? Isn't that where Dracula supposedly lived?" Téa asked.

Kaiba nodded and answered "His real name is Vlad. He is over 600 years old and has killed thousands of humans. He is not a fun guy to meet…actually I can't stand him. However, the code states that any new vampire must meet the master."

Kaiba sensed Téa's fear and he said, "He is not going to hurt you. He is probably just going to teach you the code and make sure you can be trusted." Téa nodded and finished her glass. She got up, but was still too weak to do anything. "Where are you going now?" Kaiba asked irritably as he pushed her back onto the bed.

"I'm going to pack. Since we are going to Transylvania, I am assuming I will need clothes." Téa snapped.

Kaiba smirked and replied, "Vlad is known for being a womanizer. I am sure he won't mind if you showed up without them." She whacked him in the arm and he continued, "I've already packed a bag for you. There is a certain attire you must wear to meet with him."

Téa crawled back into the bed and whispered, "Fine, as long as I am not alone, I will go. I trust you three, but I don't know about how I feel about being in a room full of vampires by myself."

…

Later that day Téa heard a knock on her door. "Come in," she said as she sat up in bed. James walked in and asked, "How are you feeling dear?"

She smiled and replied, "Much better. I still feel queasy, but the sun stone Kaiba gave me seems to be fighting it."

James pulled a box out and replied, "That's good, because your sun stones have arrived." Téa opened the box and saw that there were multiple pieces of jewelry with this reddish-violet stone in it. She looked up at James and asked, "I thought I only needed one. Why did he order so many?"

"Vampire skin will burn in the sunlight. If we didn't wear multiple stones, it would be too easy to hurt us. It is tradition that most vampires wear at least 3. But, more is always better." She pulled 2 sets of jewelry out of the box: One set had a ring, necklace, earrings, bracelet, and a hair piece. This set had a large sun stone in the shape of a heart with several white diamonds around the heart. It was beautiful, but it wasn't something she could see Kaiba buying, especially not for her. The necklace and bracelet were several hearts strung together. The other set was less elaborate but it did the job. It was simply a small princess cut sunstone. The set included earrings, a necklace, and a barrette.

James grabbed the barrette and said, "This one is your secret weapon so to speak. Clip it on somewhere beneath your clothes, so it can't be seen. Mr. Kaiba would like you to wear your fanciest set when you meet with Vlad tomorrow."

"Then, why didn't Kaiba bring this to me?" Téa asked.

James explained, "Mr. Kaiba is a busy man, Ms. Gardener. Right now, Mr. Kaiba is using some vacation days at Kaiba Corp. He is trying to figure out a way to convince the council that you are worthy of having the vampires curse. Anyone can plainly see that you don't want this lifestyle and if the council don't believe you are worthy of the curse…"

"I'm dead aren't I?" Téa asked.

Kaiba walked in at that moment and answered, "Let's just say you will be a nice appetizer. We're leaving as soon as Mokuba gets home from school. When we get there, you must try to convince the council that you are my wife. If they suspect that you are lying you things are going to get ugly."

Téa raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why would they want us to be married? It's not like it would change the fact that I am a vampire now." She took the ring off she had earlier and handed it back to Kaiba so she could wear her own ring.

Kaiba placed his ring back on his hand and replied, "No, but it would give reason to doubt our faithfulness to the code. The vampire's curse is only supposed to be given to their bride. What I did was technically wrong and we could both be punished if things go wrong."

Téa took a deep breath and nodded, "I understand. I won't let you down Kaiba."

"It's Seto," Kaiba corrected. If you are going to convince the council that you are my wife, you are going to have to call me Seto." He then left the room without another word.


	4. Chapter 4

"We're, here," James said as the rental car pulled to a stop. Téa was surprised to find that the place looked like a hotel…

"James, why is the..." she looked around to see if anyone could hear here, "hide out located in a hotel?"

"Vampires from all over the world come here on business. It is only natural that they would need a place to stay during their visit," Kaiba answered, "The actual meeting place will be across the street at Dracula's castle. Humans are too afraid to approach the castle. Those foolish enough to try, are never seen again. We'll be heading there as soon as we get dressed."

"Great," Téa mumbled as she followed the boys into the hotel. A chipper looking hotel clerk greeted

them at the desk, "Hello there Mr. Kaiba, your 3 rooms: two singles and a double, are ready."

He took the keys and without so much as a thank you walked away from the desk.

…

As Téa entered her room she looked around and thought to herself, this looks…eerie. The walls were red with black velvet curtains hanging on the window across from her. The bed had silky black sheets and a velvet comforter. There was a small desk to the right of the room with a lamp and a note pad. To the left a dresser with a TV on top sat near the bed.

Mokuba followed her in and placed her luggage on the bed. He took in her reaction to the place and knew that she was scared. "Don't worry Téa, my brother will protect you. He wouldn't have saved you in that alley, if he wasn't willing to protect you now," Mokuba said reassuringly.

Téa nodded and said, "Thank you Mokuba, I need to get dressed now. I will see you guys in a half an hour."

Mokuba was waiting in the hallway when she finished getting dressed. He looked up to see her wearing a red floor length satin gown. It was had a built-in corset that further enhanced her tiny waist and a peplum tail in the back. (Look up the red gown from the Moulin Rouge for an idea of the dress.) She wore black gloves with the dress and her heart shaped jewelry set. Her Hair was pulled back into a bun and had a hair piece adorning it. "Wow, You look incredible Téa."

"Thank you, Mokuba. Where are James and Kai…Seto?" She asked.

"They are both downstairs. Remember, when we meet with members of the council, you are going to have to act like newlyweds. But seriously, when my brother sees you in this, he is going to wish you would marry him," Mokuba said excitedly.

Téa laughed and said, "Alright Mokuba lets go before your brother catches you talking about him like that."

Téa and Mokuba walked down the corridor until they reached the front of the hotel. She saw Kaiba and James talking to another person. The person they were talking to looked in their direction and suddenly stopped talking. His silence caused the other guys to turn and look. Mokuba beamed when he saw his older brothers face. It was a mixture shock and desire. He knew that his older brother wanted her and that made him happy…after all he wanted to be an uncle!

Téa approached the group with the biggest smile she could muster, "I am sorry I took so long Seto." She gave him a peck on the cheek and asked, "Who's your friend?"

Kaiba's face turned red out of shock and the gentleman next to him started to laugh. "There is no need to be embarrassed Mr. Kaiba. My name is Lauden, I am one of the Elders who is going to be at your trial today." Téa leaned slightly into Kaiba out of fear. Kaiba unconsciously wrapped his arms around her when she did. They were completely unaware of their position at the moment, but to the untrained eye, the gesture looked endearing.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Lauden. I hope that the other elders are as kind as you are." She said as she held out her hand for him to shake.

Instead of shaking her hand, he kissed it and said, "Well then, the Elders are waiting. Let's go."

Téa placed her gloved hand into Kaiba's. He assumed she was playing the role as his bride, but in reality she was terrified.

Inside the building there was a staircase. They climbed the staircase until they reached two wooden doors. Téa wrapped her arm around Seto's arm and looked up at him. He looked down at her and felt his heart skip a beat. Suddenly, it started to feel like they could sense what the other person was feeling.

"Enter!" a voice called out from behind the doors.

They stepped in and looked around. The room looked like a throne room. There were 2 large chairs in the middle and several people on each side of a carpet leading to the two chairs. Sitting in the 2 chairs up front was an older looking gentleman she assumed was Vlad, and a woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties to his left.

"Seto Kaiba," the older man greeted, "I haven't gazed upon your face since your father was alive. Is this your beautiful bride?"

"Yes sir, this is my wife Téa," Kaiba replied.

One of the men in the court said, "I sense deception, my lord." Several people in the room gasped. Kaiba's eyes narrowed and Vlad stood up. Vlad walked toward the couple and stopped right in front of them. Instinctually Kaiba wrapped his arm around Téa's waist to protect her. Vlad spoke again, "She is beautiful Kaiba, but I am having a hard time believing that she fell in love with a stickler like you. Téa my dear, what is it that initially attracted you to Kaiba?"

"He's protective of those he loves," Téa replied simply.

Vlad looked over to the man who initially detected a lie, and the man said, "No deception detected." Vlad raised a surprised eyebrow and turned back to Kaiba, "And what about you Mr. Kaiba, what made you select her to be your bride?"

Kaiba didn't know what to say, he doubted that saying 'sheer dumb luck' was going to go over well. "I don't know," Kaiba replied.

"Also, no deception detected sir," The man called out.

"Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe you two are truly married. I can obviously see that you turned her, but my question is why? What did you get out of this Mr. Kaiba?" Vlad asked.

Kaiba looked down because he felt Téa start to shake. He knew that there was no point in lying anymore, "I received nothing from this. When I found her, she was about to die a gruesome death. I had known her prior to the incident and I knew what kind of person she was. I just couldn't deal with the thought of her dying when there was something I could do to help. She is a benevolent individual and is more worthy of eternal life than most of the people in this room."

"And you Ms. Téa… Do you want to be a vampire?" Vlad asked.

A tear rolled down Téa's cheek and she tried to speak, but her mouth refused to move.

Finally the woman who was sitting in the chair next to Vlad previously stood up and said, "That's enough Vlad! Can't you see that you are terrifying the poor girl?"

Vlad then turned his attention back to Kaiba, "Has she discovered any of her powers yet?" Kaiba shook his head no and Vlad continued, "So you mean to tell me that you turned a girl who is weak with no powers or even desire to be a vampire. Then you don't even have the courage to marry her. Tell me Mr. Kaiba, give me one reason why I should not completely drain this girl of her blood right now."

Before Kaiba could answer Téa said, "Because he is merciful." Her outburst surprised Vlad but signaled for her to continue. "He found me beaten within an inch of death in an alley a few nights ago. He could have just walked away, but instead he chose to save me. I am nothing in my home town. I have no money or family. I can never pay him back for what he has done for me but I appreciate it with every piece of my heart. If you want to kill me because I don't want to be a vampire, fine. I surrender myself." She held out her wrist, "Do it. I deserve it… Just please don't make Seto or his family suffer. I could not bear it." She finished as she closed her eyes.

Vlad was stunned by her response but ultimately decided to push her hand back down to her side. He then turned to Kaiba and said, "I will allow her to live on one condition. You must officially claim her as your bride. You two might not know each other well, but I insist upon a marriage. This is a 10,000-year-old tradition and I will not tolerate disobedience. You will have the wedding here in a week's time. Don't you dare defy me. All of you are dismissed except for you Kaiba."

The entire court left the room except for Téa and Kaiba. Téa was technically dismissed, but she didn't want to leave Kaiba alone with Vlad. Kaiba moved her hand and said, "I will be fine, go with Mokuba." Hesitantly, she left. When they were alone Kaiba asked, "What do you want Vlad?"

"I am disappointed in you Kaiba. I had been initially been planning to choose you for a successor, since I never had any children of my own. But then you go and choose this weakling for a bride. What were you thinking?" Vlad said.

Kaiba was stunned to say the least but asked, "Why would you choose me? We don't even like being in the same room together."

Vlad laughed, "I initially chose you because you don't put up with nonsense. But, then you go and choose this beautiful but pathetic excuse for a …"

A loud boom interrupted his train of thought. Vlad quickly stormed out the room to investigate and when he did, he saw Téa standing in the middle of the room with her hands shaking. A man was lying unconscious with a hole in the shape of his body on the wall across from her. People were staring in awe of what just happened.

"You were saying?" Kaiba said smugly. Téa quickly turned and ran out the doors of the castle to the hotel across the street.

"What the hell happened?" Vlad asked angrily.

"Ferguson here said that she would make a good bitch, but not a bride. He then tried to kiss her, but she pushed him off of her. When he tried again, wind shot out from the palms of her hands... It was like she summoned a storm." Queen Sophie, Vlad's wife answered excitedly.

Vlad scratched his chin and said, "Maybe she isn't as useless as I initially thought."

Vlad's wife said, "You have been pretty rude to her today. I am going to see if she is alright." She then left in a cloud of smoke.

He turned to Kaiba and said, "We will discuss this further at a later date. For now, focus on organizing your wedding. We will hold it in the here in the castle ballroom."

Kaiba bowed and replied, "Yes, Sir." He then started to head back to the hotel room.

When he returned to the hotel, he found Mokuba and James standing outside her room. "What are you doing out here?" He asked?

"Queen Sophie, came to visit Téa. We just wanted to make sure she wasn't here to harm Téa." Mokuba answered.

"She is not here to hurt Téa. Now come on, I am going to need your help." He said as he entered his hotel room.

"I normally have a plan for all situations," Kaiba said, "but, for once I am utterly clueless. How am I going to get out of marrying Téa?"

James and Mokuba fidgeted, before Mokuba asked, "Would it really be so bad marrying Téa? I mean she is pretty, kind, and fun to be around. Even you said that to Vlad that you couldn't bear the thought of being without her in this world."

"Stop twisting my words Mokuba," Kaiba corrected, "James do you have any ideas?"

James cringed and said, "Invite her friends to the wedding." Kaiba deadpanned to the response and finally accepted that he was doomed to be with Téa.

….

Téa heard a knock on the door and wiped a tear off her face. "Go away," she called out thinking it was James or one of the Kaiba brothers. The door opened and she whispered, "Please, just let me be. I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"I know you didn't want to hurt anyone sweetie," she heard a feminine voice say. Téa turned around and saw the vampire queen standing in the door. The woman continued, "My name is Sophia Lynn. But, you can just call me Sophie. I am Vlad's wife."

"Are you here to hurt me?" Téa asked with a blank expression

Sophie shook her head no and replied, "Actually, I was hoping to become your friend."

"With all due respect, Ms. Sophie, your husband sees me as a speck of dirt in his precious blood line. Why would you want to be friends with me?" Téa asked irritably.

Sophie sighed and answered, "He dislikes you, because you are just like me... You see when Vlad was younger, he was more open to change. I was visiting Romania with my family. My youthful face and silver hair caused people to believe that I was a witch. In Romania, there is a special holiday where a beautiful girl is offered as a sacrifice to the gods in exchange for protection from the vampires. They chose me as the sacrifice and I was strapped to a marble alter. As the executioner approached Vlad saw me and instantly fell in love. He swooped down to save me and once I was out of harm's way, he offered me the curse. The reason he dislikes that Kaiba chose you, is because of his decision to marry me. When he married me, other vampires questioned his leadership. It caused controversy among the clan and almost started a war." She then paused and said, "Téa if something should go down because of your change, I would like to be on your side. I didn't have anyone other than my husband to fight for me and it hurt. I would like you to have several people to turn to for support if things go bad."

Téa looked down at her lap and thought for a moment. She then looked into Sophia's eyes and said, "I would like that."

Sophia smiled and gave her a hug, she then continued, "Before I leave, I also came to warn you. Many of the younger vampires like to haze new vampires. While I doubt the Kaiba brothers would participate in such activity, you will need to watch out for others. It is not like traditional college life hazing, it is generally excruciatingly painful and demoralizing."

Téa rubbed her arms nervously and said, "Okay, I will keep that in mind."

Sophia then walked out the door. She passed Seto Kaiba as she exited and whispered, "Take care of her."

…

Seto Kaiba entered her room and looked at her staring out of the balcony. He walked next to her and she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Since we are going to be living together, I came to discuss guidelines." Kaiba explained.

"Be still my heart," Téa mumbled sarcastically.

"Look, this isn't exactly my idea of a fun time either. But, if we are going to have to live together, we have to find a way to not step on each other's toes." Kaiba replied logically.

"I just have three rules, 1. You don't own me. Don't think that you can just use me. 2. be nice to my friends and…" she stopped not knowing how to approach the question."

"And what?" Kaiba asked.

"And… 3. be honest with me. We probably will never love each other, but I want to at least become close to you. After all, we are going to be sharing our after life together, so a level of trust towards each other would be good.." Téa asked.

Kaiba grunted and replied, "Fine, I only have one rule. Don't embarrass me by going out with other men. It looks bad on me in business and here."

"I would never dishonor you like that Seto," she said in response, "You have my word."

Kaiba nodded and was about to leave, "One more thing Seto," He turned and looked to see what she wanted, "The coffee here taste like crap, let's go to the Coffee Bean or something."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and gestured to her to follow. She hopped off the bed and happily followed. As they walked down the road Téa asked, "Seto, you were born a vampire…Have you ever wanted to be a normal human?"

Kaiba was taken back by the question at first, but he remembered that he promised to be honest with her. He answered, "If I wanted to be a vampire, I wouldn't be drinking only animal blood. My father was murdered because of the curse. I would do just about anything to be normal."

Téa became silent, she wanted to know more but she knew that he would probably leave if she went any further.

Téa smiled as she saw the coffee shop come into view. The scent of coffee beans, cinnamon, and vanilla was overwhelming to her senses. She ordered a cappuccino and waited for Kaiba to make his order. As they sat in the booth Téa took a sip and frowned, "I don't understand, I know this is my favorite cup of coffee, but it just doesn't taste the same?" Tea said more to herself than anyone else.

"It's because of the curse," Kaiba looked around before he explained, "Things you liked to eat and drink as a human, become less appealing as a vampire. The only reason I drink coffee is because it gives me energy and makes me look human."

Téa nodded in understanding, then apologized, "I'm sorry for dragging you out here then. I just thought maybe we could get to know each other over a nice cup of coffee."

Kaiba took a sip from his cup and answered, "It's fine, after dealing with Vlad today, I needed an escape." He left a tip and was about to purchase 2 cups to bring back to Mokuba and James when he saw a familiar face.

"Vlad, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Vlad answered, "I tracked you and I would like to speak with you back at the…" A waitress passed by. "office…" Kaiba knew what Vlad meant and signaled for Téa to come.

Kaiba replied, "Fine, we'll be there in a few minutes." Vlad waited a few seconds for the waitress to turn around and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

When they entered the castle, Kaiba got a bad feeling. He sensed danger, but he didn't know what was the cause. Regardless, he placed his hand on Téa's back in order to keep her close.

He entered Vlad's throne room and was surprised to see a second man in there.

Téa watched Seto close she knew something was wrong as she listened to his heart beat.

The man turned towards Kaiba and said, "Hello Seto."  
Suddenly, Seto flew into a deep and terrifying rage, attacking the strange man. "I thought you were dead," He screamed at the man he just pinned to the ground.

The man just laughed and said, "It's nice to see you too." The heavyset man disappeared causing Kaiba to hit the ground. When the man reappeared, he was standing next to Téa, "You know Seto, that fiancé of yours vaguely of resembles your mother," he said before he grabbed her face and looked into her eyes, "Do you remember me?"

Suddenly a scene flooded back into her memory and she stuttered, "It was you… you killed that man…didn't you?"

Kaiba pushed Gozaburo's hand away from her face and turned to Vlad, "He murdered my father, why have you allowed him to live?"

"He worked his whole life to become one of us. He earned the right to carry the curse. Besides, I figured he would become useful to me. It appears I was right." Vlad explained.

Vlad then stepped forward and said, "Since you changed this weakling, you are going to have to prove that you're strong enough to take over."

"I don't want to rule over vampires. I have enough to deal with in my day trying to run my business," Seto continued, "and what does he have to do with this?"

Gozaburo spoke up, "That's simple, if Vlad deems you unfit to rule, I am his second choice."

Kaiba turned to Vlad and asked, "Is this true?"

Vlad nodded, "After you marry Téa, you will have a year to prepare for a battle against Gozaburo."

"Why don't we just get this over with right now?" Kaiba asked as he was about to attack

Vlad stopped him and said, "Because I want you to have something worth fighting for. I don't want you to go into this fight distracted by your hatred towards Gozaburo."

"And if you fail, I am sure you can figure out what I am going to do to what's left of your family," Gozaburo said with a smirk.

"So, I have no choice," Kaiba confirmed.

"Essentially, but don't worry Seto. If you do fail, I have other plans for your blushing bride." Gozaburo replied.

Kaiba grabbed Téa's wrist and said, "Let's go." He was livid at this point, but Vlad was right about one thing. He had to keep his mind clear of hatred. If he let his anger distract him, he probably wouldn't get his revenge.

…


	5. Chapter 5

Kaiba didn't let go of her wrist until they barged into his hotel room. James and Mokuba who were having a conversation on the sofa, stopped talking upon their appearance. When he finally let go of Téa he turned to James and screamed, "How could you not tell me that bastard was still alive?!"

James face paled and Kaiba kicked the nightstand next to the bed, startling Téa.

"What are you talking about Seto?" Mokuba asked.

"Gozaburo, he is still alive and he is immortal now!" Seto screamed. "Why didn't you tell me he was alive James? I know you knew!"

"Seto, please calm down," she said as she cautiously walked up behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder. This slight touch triggered a fight or flight reaction within him. He quickly spun around and threw her into the wall across the room.

"SETO!" Mokuba yelled as he ran to Téa's side.

Kaiba quickly realized the mistake he had made and walked over to her, "Téa, I'm sorry. I thought…"

Téa struggled to her feet and screamed, "You thought what Kaiba? You thought you could use me as your personal punching bag when you got angry."

"Téa please listen," Kaiba tried to reason with her.

"No Kaiba, you listen. I would rather die a thousand deaths than to be hurt by someone I trust," she then ran out the room crying.

Kaiba ran his hands through his hair, 'could today get any worse,' he thought to himself. He then pointed to Mokuba and James and said, "Both of you out…I need time to think."

…

Mokuba walked into Téa's room and found her packing her bag. "Where are you going?" he asked Téa.

Téa turned around and she replied, "Anywhere but here. I'm not like you Mokuba, I don't belong here…"she paused for a moment and said, "I don't belong anywhere." She couldn't go back home and risk harming her friends and she couldn't go elsewhere because she didn't know how to hunt. She was trapped. She shook her head and continued, "It doesn't matter anyway, as soon as I leave that asshole Vlad is probably going to come after me and kill me anyway." She zipped her first bag and started to pack a second one.

"Seto didn't mean to hit you Téa," Mokuba pled, "Please don't leave us like everyone else did."

Téa stopped packing and asked, "What do you mean like everyone else did?"

"After mom and dad were killed nobody wanted us. We hopped from family member to family member until we were dumped in an orphanage. Gozaburo, my dad's fraternity brother and best friend took us in. He was cruel to us, especially Seto and we didn't know why, at first... It was a few years after dad's murder, so Seto didn't recognize him at first. But, after overhearing a conversation with him and one of Gozaburo's business partners Seto found out. It was then that Seto planned his revenge. He decided that he was going to take over his business and leave him with nothing, just like he did to us. But to his surprise Gozaburo flung himself out the window after he no longer owned Kaiba Corp. We thought he was dead." Mokuba explained, "So after seeing Gozaburo today, something snapped and when you touched him, psychologically he thought it was Gozaburo. He would never intentionally hurt you Téa."

A knock was heard on the door. Téa let out a sigh, "Come in," she said.

Seto Kaiba walked into the door with a look on his face Téa had never seen… remorse. Carefully he started to choose his words, "Téa, I know that I can't undo what I have done. However, I want you to know that I am truly sorry. I lost my temper and what I did was inexcusable."

Téa sat silently thinking for a moment before she said, "I forgive you Seto. Just don't do it again."

Kaiba was about to exit when Mokuba suggested, "Hey Seto, Téa still hasn't picked out a wedding dress. Why don't we get Sophie to go out with her tomorrow to choose one."

"If that's what you want, I can make it happen," he said to Téa.

"Isn't it too dangerous for me to be in a dress shop with other humans?" she asked.

"You have your own sun stones now, so your cravings should be cut significantly. Did you have any trouble in the coffee shop?" Kaiba asked. She shook her head no and he continued, "Then you should be fine."

"Seto, would it be okay to invite my friends to the wedding? I mean, would they be in danger if I did?" she asked Kaiba.

Kaiba answered, "They would be in a room full of Vampires…What do you think?"

She nodded and got quiet. In her heart she knew it wasn't possible, but she had still hoped it would be possible.

Kaiba thought for a second, "There is one of your friends that is one of us, Mai Valentine."

"Mai's a vampire… Does Joey know?" Téa asked.

"I highly doubt it," Kaiba answered…he was about to say something insulting about the Mutt, but he was trying to get along with her and knew that it wouldn't be his best move.

"Could we invite her then? In fact, I would love it if she could help me with my dress," Téa asked.

Kaiba started to walk towards the door and said, "I will make a call to her tonight. If she accepts, I will fly her in with my private jet to ensure she makes it in time." As he shut the door, she smiled slightly, 'at least I will have one friend here for me.'

…

A knock on the door woke Téa up from a deep sleep. "Hold on," she said as she pulled on a robe. She tied the robe and opened the door to see a group of people standing outside her room. "Can I help you?" she asked.

Suddenly, she felt someone cover her face with a cloth and things went dark.

"Wakey wakey," she heard someone say. When her vision cleared, she saw the man who tried to kiss her after her meeting with Vlad.

"Where am I?" she asked groggily as she tried to stand. It was then that she realized that she was tied to a chair.

"Hell," he answered simply.

He turned the chair around and she saw bones laying everywhere. She screamed and closed her eyes. "Give me the cup, Jacob," she heard the man say.

He then grabbed the glass and tried to make her drink. "If you are going to be one of us, you are going to do it right. Drink the human blood, you whore." Téa moved her head and fought him with all her might, but it was difficult considering she couldn't go anywhere.

…

Kaiba woke up in a cold sweat. His heart was racing, and he suddenly felt really nauseated. He sensed that something was wrong.

…

After failing to make her drink the human blood, the man had other people hold her while he untied her. They moved her further into what appeared to be a large mausoleum and broke the lock on a coffin. Once the coffin was open, one man went to throw out the contents, when the man called Jacob, "No, it's better this way." He then threw her in the coffin and placed a new lock.

It took a moment for Téa to realize what happened, but as soon as she realized it she screamed. 'They are going to bury me alive…They are going to bury me alive…' she thought to herself. She then felt the coffin being lifted off the ground. She started banging and scratching at the coffin, desperate to escape. She screamed as loud as she could, "Somebody, Help Me! PLEASE!"

…

Kaiba looked over to his brother's bed and saw him sleeping peacefully. He got up to check on Téa. Just in case he was overreacting, he decided to knock calmly, "Téa," he called out. When he didn't hear her respond he knocked louder and repeated, "Tea?!" After a second time without a response he opened the door to discover that she was gone.

"Mokuba! James!," He yelled as he ran back to his room to get dressed. Mokuba opened the door to their room and asked, "What's wrong Seto?"

Kaiba changed from his pajamas into regular clothes saying, "Téa's missing, and I think she might be in trouble."

James walked in at that moment and said, "I just had a dream about someone throwing a coffin overboard. Maybe it has something to do with her disappearance."

"I don't know. For now, we are going to drive around until I sense her presence," Seto said as he grabbed his jacket. "Let's go."

…

The men now were boarding a private yacht with the coffin. She was still trying her hardest to draw attention to the situation or escape, but nobody but the people terrorizing her was around. She heard a motor start and knew that this was going to be the end of her. The last thing she heard was a splash.

…

Since James' dream told him something was happening at the beach, that's where they headed first. Kaiba felt her heart beat become stronger and faster…too fast. He knew that he was getting close. He saw a yacht floating in the water figured she was on board. There were no other boats around, so he had to swim to the ship. Thankfully it wasn't far out, and the tide was in his favor.

…

Water started to fill the insides of the coffin and she was panicking. There was no escape and she would never see her friends again. She started to cry, and it wouldn't be long before the coffin completely filled with water.

…  
Kaiba climbed on board and saw Ferguson, the man who tried to kiss her. Kaiba grabbed the man by the collar, "Where is she?" He said in a deadly tone.

Ferguson beamed, "At the bottom of the sea." Kaiba's eyes widened and he dove back into the water. As he looked around, he saw something sinking. It was a coffin. He swam up to the coffin and tried to pull the lock off. When that didn't work, he knew that they used a lock made of silver. Silver was known as an element that deterred vampires. Instead, he decided to rip the door off its hinges. As soon as the door came open, Téa grabbed onto him and he swam to the surface. The yacht was gone so he swam them towards the shore.

Once Téa was back on land, he could tell she was badly shaken from the incident. Her breathing was erratic, her heartbeat was all over the place, and she clung to him for dear life. It was then he saw her hands, they were raw, bruised, and bleeding from her trying to escape the coffin. He told her to hold out her hands so he could take a photo as evidence when he spoke with Vlad.

He then did something that surprised them both, he pulled her into his chest and whispered, "It's okay, your safe now." He picked her up and made his way towards the car, "I am going to let you rest for tonight, but tomorrow we are going discuss this incident with Vlad.

She nodded and started to shiver as the night air hit her wet body. When they reached the hotel, Kaiba headed towards Téa's room when she stopped him, "Seto, please stay with me tonight… I am so scared." He looked over to Mokuba who was his current roommate and Mokuba nodded. Kaiba then said, "Fine. But, I want you to take a shower and change before you get sick." She nodded and he lowered her to the ground. It took her a few seconds to regain her balance, but she managed to gather her clothes. Kaiba sat on the bed and waited.

Once she had what she needed, she walked to the bathroom. Mokuba was about to leave to sleep in his room, but Kaiba stopped him. "Stay put for a few minutes Mokuba. I want someone with her while I get cleaned up as well," Kaiba requested.

Mokuba agreed and turned on the television while he waited for his brother to get back from his room with pajamas.

…

After they had both showered, Kaiba noticed that his younger brother helped Téa wrap her hands. He then looked over to Téa who nervously was sitting on the bed. She knew she asked for him to stay with her, but it had just now occurred to her that her room had only one bed. This put her in an awkward situation.

Kaiba had sensed her tension, but he chose to ignore it. After all, they would be getting married in a few days, she would have to get used to the idea of sleeping in the same bed. He crawled under the covers on the opposite side of the bed and turned out the lamp next to the bed. "Good Night," he said as he turned away from her.

Knowing that he wasn't going to try anything funny, she let out a sigh of relief and snuggled deeper into the blankets, before drifting off to sleep.

…

The next morning, there was a knock on the door. Téa was brushing her teeth, so Kaiba rolled out of bed to answer the door. "Well, look at you two… already in bed together," a smug looking blonde girl joked.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and let her in. He then returned to his own room to get ready. After Téa finished brushing her teeth, she stepped out of the bathroom to see Mai sitting on her bed. "Mai," she squealed as she ran to give the girl a hug, "I missed you."

"I missed you too hun," Mai said in return, "and who would have thought that Seto Kaiba would be getting married. Especially to you… When did you two start dating? And, how are the guys taking it?" Téa cringed and Mai realized, "They don't know….do they?"

Téa shook her head no and replied, "Seto and I never were actually dating. I got attacked by a group of thugs and Kaiba saved my life. It wasn't until I was brought here that I found out I had to get married to him. Vlad is kind of forcing it on us."

Mai frowned and said, "Well that sucks. But I am glad you called me to help you. Have you looked at any dress options yet?"

Téa shook her head and answered, "No, we are supposed to be doing that today with Sophie. Have you met her yet?"

"Yes, she is very sweet. It is kind of odd how those two ended up together. They are completely opposite personalities." Mai commented.

Seto walked in the room and said, "It's time to go."

…

"Téa was attacked last night Vlad," he said as he approached the throne, "I don't take kindly to those who harm my family."

Vlad rolled his eyes, "I heard about it. It was just a harmless prank."

"A prank?" Téa spoke, "A prank is when you replace your friends cake icing with tooth paste or poke holes in their umbrella." She unwrapped her hands, which has healed some but not completely, "This is not a prank. I thought I was going to drown. How would you feel if they would have pulled this crap on Sophie?"

Vlad countered, "That is Queen Sophie to you, and she would have been smart enough to know vampires can't drown."

Téa took a shot in the dark and said, "Even when you first turned her?"

Vlad turned around and screamed, "What?!" He seemed to challenge her to continue.

Téa didn't back down, "Sophie told me that the only reason you hate me is because you did the same thing when you were younger, marry someone unworthy of your stupid curse. Well, I will have you know that I am not going to stand for being treated this way any longer. I demand respect!"

Vlad's face turned red and Kaiba pulled her behind him. Vlad was about to attack when Sophie stopped him, "Don't get angry just because she speaks the truth," Sophie said, "You have treated her with less respect than your family treated me. I will not allow you to harm her."

"And, how do you plan to stop me?" Vlad asked.

Sophie smiled, "Simple, she pulled out a charm and it started to glow. Vlad's eyes widened, as she placed the charm around Téa's neck. Sophie then explained to her, "This charm is enchanted. When Seto's mother died, I took her sun stones to make a protection medallion for Seto. I finished the pendant, but was unable to return it to him, until now.

Seto's eyes widened as he took in the glow from the stunning piece. He felt his mother's love and knew that Téa would be safe. Vlad disregarded Sophie's statement and ran towards Téa. The necklace glowed and his body was thrown backwards. Sophie then said, "You're done Vlad. Accept it."

Vlad angrily walked back to his throne and said, "You're all dismissed."  
Sophie smiled and said, "Now let's go see about that wedding gown."


	6. Chapter 6

Téa looked in the window of the bridal shop and saw several girls with huge smiles, ready to take the next step in their lives. She could see the love and joy in their eyes, and couldn't help but feel envious. Sure, she was there to pick out a wedding dress, but she didn't love the man she was about to be married to. She quickly wiped away a tear rolling down her cheek and followed Mai, Sophie, and James (who was really there only because Kaiba insisted that Téa needed some form of security) into the store.

Téa could tell that the bridal shop was the best in town. Some of the dresses cost more than buying a house. As Téa placed a dress she liked back on the rack because she thought it was too expensive, James walked up and said, "Mister Kaiba told me to make sure that you don't worry about the cost. He is inviting several of his business partners to the event, and he wants you to look your absolute best." Téa hesitated, but picked the dress back up to try on.

After choosing about five dresses, the owner of the bridal store brought her and the bridal party to a private area to try on and display the dresses. Téa stepped into the changing room and tried on the first dress. It was an ivory satin dress with a sweetheart neckline. Swarovski crystals were sewn into the fabric making it shine in the light. She stepped out the dressing room after the store clerk zipped the back and asked, "Well, what do you think?"

Mai commented, "It is a little plain for the woman who is going to be married to Seto Kaiba."  
James added, "I agree, you look beautiful as always. But, I don't think this is the dress."  
Sophie shrugged, "It's okay…I guess."

Téa turned around and returned to the dressing room. This was not the dress.

She tried on another dress which was supposed to be a knee length dress, but because she was so tall, it came up to the middle of her thigh. She knew it wasn't appropriate, but for giggles she stepped out in it.

"I approve whole heartedly," Mai said.  
James countered, "Definitely not, this is so short it looks like a teddy."  
"While I don't think that Mr. Kaiba would mind seeing you in that…I don't think it would be appropriate for a wedding." Sophie said as she started to giggle uncontrollably.

Téa picked up the dress that she liked the most on the rack. She really didn't want to buy a dress this expensive, but Kaiba did say to pick out what she liked… 'I am probably going to try it on and it won't look as pretty as it does on the rack anyway,' she thought to herself.

She gently pulled the dress on and waited to be zipped up before stepping out. She didn't even take a look in the dressing room mirror out of fear of falling in love with the dress. When she stepped out, it was as if the room had frozen. For a minute, no one had said anything. Téa started to fidget nervously and James said, "You look gorgeous! Mister Kaiba won't be able to take his eyes off you."

Mai beamed and nodded, "I agree, you look like a princess. Every tabloid will be talking about your wedding for months to come."

Sophie commented, "It is fit for a queen."

Hesitantly Téa turned around to the 3 way mirror and looked at herself in the dress for the first time. She gasped at the dress's beauty. The dress was an off the shoulder, long sleeved, floor length lace gown. The dress slid down her curves perfectly and a jeweled belt highlighted her tiny waist. She swallowed hard, she loved the dress, but her conscience still wouldn't let her buy it. "It's nice, but I think I should look more."

Téa settled for a dress that was also lace, but not nearly as beautiful as the one before. She convinced Sophie and James that she absolutely loved the dress, but Mai knew better. While Téa was getting measured, she called Kaiba and explained what was going on. He told her to give a store clerk the phone and when the clerk handed the phone back, "I handled it," he said before hanging up.

As she finished getting measured, the store clerk spoke to Téa, "Thank you for shopping with us today, Ms. Kaiba. Your dress will be delivered a few hours before the wedding. You will look stunning."

Téa smiled and replied, "Thank you. Where do I pay?"

"That's not necessary, after you picked out the dress we called Mr. Kaiba with the price and he wired the money over to us." The clerk explained.

Téa nodded and waved goodbye. Téa was especially quiet on the ride home. Mai noticed this and whispered, "Do you want to talk about it over dinner?"

Téa shook her head no and whispered back, "I am just nervous about all this. That's all."

…

Mokuba sat with his brother in the hotel room. Seto was typing documents on his computer, while a movie played in the background. Mokuba turned to his brother on the couch and said, "Seto, why don't you take Téa out tonight? You two could go sightseeing together or something."

Kaiba stopped typing and replied, "Now why would I waste my time doing something like that?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes and replied, "Seto, you are getting married to Téa Wednesday. Don't you think it would be good for the two of you to get to know each other?"

Kaiba scoffed and said, "You are going to have to try harder than that to take me away from my work."

Mokuba then stood up and said, "Seto, if you want her to act like a wife, you are going to have to start treating her as your wife. I know you don't want her to go elsewhere to find companionship, so you are going to have to start offering her some." Kaiba didn't seem to be moved by Mokuba's suggestion, so Mokuba added, "You know, you are probably going to lose her to Yugi if you don't. Especially with how beautiful the curse made her. Any man would be crazy not to ask her out."

Kaiba stopped typing and glared at Mokuba, "Fine, what do you suggest?"

….

Téa walked into the hotel room and noticed Seto was sitting on her bed. "Seto, what are you doing here?"

"It is your first time in Romania, I wanted to know if you wanted to go sightseeing with me?" Seto asked.

Téa was surprised but agreed, "That sound's wonderful. Where are we going?"

Kaiba stood up and pulled his phone out his pocket to call a taxi, "You will see soon enough."

When Téa stepped out the taxi, she was in awe. She was in a tiny village with a sign that read Biertan. The buildings inside the town were ancient and all of the homes were painted different colors. People were cheerful as they either walked or biked to their destinations. She stood in awe of the nearby rolling hills and architecture.

Kaiba walked up and placed his hand on her back to guide her to their first stop. "So, where are we going?"

"There is a man named Nicholae, he is a well-known wine connoisseur in these parts. He is going to show you the traditional way Romanian Wine is made." Kaiba explained.

Téa smiled and allowed herself to be led down the road.

As they entered the shop, the shopkeeper greeted them both, "Good Afternoon Mister Kaiba, I am so excited to see you and your beautiful fiancé." He then turned to Téa and eyed her up and down before saying, "Misses Kaiba, you are the most femeie frumoasă I have ever laid eyes on. I can see why Mister Kaiba chose you to be his mireasă." He kissed her hand and smiled.

She turned to Kaiba for translation and noticed his suddenly turned foul. 'What got into him?' she wondered. She thanked Nicholae and followed him as he took them both to the vineyard. As Nicholae talked about the place, she whispered to Seto, "Is there something wrong Seto?" Kaiba shook his head and pretended to be listening to Nicholae's tour of the vineyard. She bit her lip knowing she was probably pushing her luck but asked, "Seto, did you understand what he was saying back there?"

Seto nodded and said, "He said that you're the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, and that he can see why I chose you to be my bride." He noticed her blush and grabbed her elbow, "Come on, lets get this over with."

Téa frowned but did as he suggested. They got to a shed with some large tubs of grapes. Nicholae rolled up his pants and asked are you ready to make some wine. They watched as he cleaned his feet and then stepped into a tub of grapes. Téa beamed, cleaned her feet, and hopped into a wooden tub. She reached out to Seto and said, "Come on, this is going to be fun."

Seto shook his head no, but she grabbed his hands and said, "Please Seto! This is going to be a great memory. She took a step back, hoping to coax him into the tub. When she did, she slipped and fell backwards into the tub. She was holding onto Kaiba's hands and he too fell into the tub on top of her. She cursed as the back of her head hit the side of the tub. Kaiba stood up and looked down at his clothes in disgust. He helped her up and said, "I think it is time to go."

Téa would have argued, but her head was now in pain. She stepped out of the tub and thanked Nicholae. Nicholae handed her a bottle and said, "Here, consider this a wedding present from my company. I hope you two have a long and happy life together."

She thanked Nicholae and walked out the door with Kaiba. She looked around and asked, "Kaiba where is the Taxi." Kaiba walked into a dark looking alley and said, "We aren't taking the Taxi. I am not going anywhere looking like this."

She looked at him and chuckled at his now stained shirt. "So, how are we going to get back to the hotel?"

He picked her up bridal style and said, "Hold on tight." With a puff of smoke, they were gone.

…

Mokuba was surprised when his brother appeared in the hotel room holding Téa. Seto put her down and she asked, "Mokuba, what are you doing in my room?" 

Mokuba replied, "Well, since the day of the wedding is getting closer, I figured it would be better if you two shared a room. I thought it would be a great way for you to get to know each other." He smirked cheekily, "but, I didn't know my big brother was going to fly you over the threshold. I will get out and let you two lovebirds have some alone time."

Téa turned red and tried to argue, "Mokuba, it's not like…" Mokuba shut the door and left without listening to another word. Seto walked towards the door and Téa asked, "Where are you going?"

"I am going change. I suggest you come grab your clothes and do the same," He answered.

Since Mokuba had abandoned "his" room. She borrowed his shower so Seto could get clean in his own room. Once she was dressed, she returned to Seto's room and sat on one of the beds. The television had an action movie playing in the background. When Kaiba came out, she smiled. His hair was wet and tousled, for once he seemed like a normal person.

"What are you looking at?" He asked.

She shook her head and answered, "Nothing, it is just nice to see you when you aren't in business mode."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and said, "Take a picture." He sat in the opposite bed and said, "Before your clumsy self, pulled me into the grape tub, I had planned on bringing you to the Biertan Fortified Church."

Téa sat up in the bed and asked, "Really, I didn't imagine you to be the churchgoing type?"

Kaiba smirked and replied, "I'm not. However, this church is very beautiful and it has an interesting history. During Medieval times, the tower in the church was a prison tower."

"Why would they have a prison in a church? Were they trying to convert criminals?" Téa asked curiously.

Kaiba shook his head no and smirked, "No, it as a matrimonial prison. You see if a married couple requested a divorce, they would be put in the prison together for two weeks to see if they could make amends. They were forced to be in that cell together until they changed their mind about the divorce, or the two weeks were completed."

"Why would you want to show me that?" Téa asked.

Kaiba grinned and replied, "I thought it might come in handy later."

She started to laugh and went to whack him in the face with a pillow. He grabbed her wrist before pillow hit him and pinned her down on the bed. She gasped in surprise and looked up at him. With an amused look on his face, he whispered, "It is a good thing you are clumsy, otherwise I wouldn't be able to do this." He lowered his lips onto her neck and left tiny kisses down her collarbone.

She giggled as he kissed a particularly ticklish spot and asked, "Is this my punishment for not going to matrimonial prison with you."

He grunted in response and moved his way up to her lips. After she kissed him on the lips she sat up and said half-jokingly and half serious, "You're going to have to buy me dinner first."

He rolled his eyes and walked to the fridge to grab a cup. He handed it to her and started for the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I am going to go get some work done. I do have a company to run," Seto replied.

She pouted, grabbed her cup, and curled up to watch what was left of the movie.


	7. Chapter 7

When Kaiba returned to his bedroom, it was several hours later. He quietly shut the door and found Téa a sleep on the sofa. On the coffee table in front of her was a silver tray with two empty wine glasses and the bottle Nicholae had given her. Kaiba smiled when he realized she fell asleep waiting for him. He lifted her up and carried her to bed. As he looked at her sleeping face, he thought to himself, 'maybe this marriage won't be so bad after all.' Kaiba noticed that his mood began to improve since the day she was changed.

He then thought back to the conversation he had with Vlad and Gozaburo. Vlad scheduled a fight to choose a successor a year from now. He knew that Gozaburo would fight to the death and he had to protect his family. 'I need to train,' he thought to himself as he crawled in his bed. He turned out the light and decided to start his training first thing in the morning.

…

Téa woke up to the smell of coffee and found a cappuccino sitting on her night stand. She sat up and looked around the room. Mai was sitting at the foot of her bed smiling and jokingly said, "Your knight in shining trench coat dropped that off for you a few minutes ago."

"Where is Seto?" Téa asked curiously.

"Before he left, he said that he was going train with Mokuba at the Castle… That's all I know," Mai explained. Téa nodded and Mai continued, tomorrow is your big day so I was wondering if you would like to go get your nails done. Téa smiled and agreed, "Sure, just let me get dressed."

"Take your time Téa, Sophie hasn't even come yet," Mai replied.

…

Sophie saw Mokuba and Seto in the castle arena. She knew why they were there and felt hurt that her husband was the cause of the trouble within the Kaiba family. She walked up to the two and they stopped what they were doing to bow. "You two are doing great, but I think you should train with several different Vampires to get the best chance of winning. I have convinced my husband to come train with you Seto. He may not be sure that you will be the best choice for the vampire race, but I am. I want you to learn from the best. Please accept his teaching," She asked.

Kaiba nodded and thanked her, "Will you be attending the rehearsal tonight?" Kaiba asked.

Sophie shook her head and replied, "I would love to, but Vlad and I have a meeting tonight. We will be there for the wedding though."

Kaiba nodded and waved her off before returning to his training, "I will see you then."

…

Sophie knocked on the hotel door and was surprised when someone pulled her in the door. Mai was beaming and asked, "What took you so long?" She didn't wait for an answer and instead grabbed her purse and said, "Let's go!"

…

At the salon, Téa laid her head back in the bowl while the hairdresser massaged shampoo into her hair. She noticed the hairdressers all had unusual eye colors and realized that they too were Vampires. She then saw Mai was at the nail station chatting with the woman painting her nails. Sophie was relaxing next to Téa wearing a face mask.

"Sophie, I am nervous about the wedding, Although I have known Seto for years, I don't know that much about him. How am I supposed to marry someone that I don't love?" Téa asked.

Sophie sat up with a soft smile, "I asked myself the same question nearly 500 year ago when Vlad married me. As you know, Vlad rescued me from being sacrificed to the Vampires and gave me the curse. Although I didn't love him then, I eventually became hopelessly devoted to him. I may not always agree with my husband, but I would do just about anything for him. I later found out that when a vampire chooses his bride, it is never done on a whim. Seto, may think he did it just to save you, but it is much more than that."

She continued, "A vampire only gets married once. Vampires know when they have met their mate instinctually…It is part of the curse. Once the vampire chooses his or her spouse, they will do just about anything to ensure that that person feels treasured and happy."

"However, if either of the spouses are killed, the other will die shortly afterwards," Sophie said sadly.

Téa sat up in a panic and asked, "What? Why?"

"A broken heart," Sophie explained, "As I said earlier, vampires only get married once. If their beloved dies, the blood vessels in their heart start to collapse and eventually the spouse too will die."

Téa was quiet for a few minutes, before she asked, "So, what else can kill a vampire besides a broken heart?"

Sophie looked over to Téa and answered, "There are only two other ways to kill a vampire; The first way is to remove a vampire's heart from their chest and crush it, or to completely drain the vampire of its blood."

Téa gave Sophie a look of concern and asked, "Does Seto have the strength to beat Gozaburo?"

Sophie smiled and replied, "I think he does." She paused for a moment and said, "Besides, I gave you a secret weapon."

Téa was about to ask what she was talking about when the hair dresser said, "Okay, lets dry you off and do a trial run on your hair."

…

Vlad entered the arena and immediately, removed his shirt. "Let's see how much you have to learn. Come at me Kaiba."

Kaiba ran up to him and before he could reach him, Vlad disappeared and reappeared behind him. Vlad grabbed Kaiba by the back of his shirt and threw him against the wall. "You are going to have to try harder than that Kaiba, if you want to protect your family."

Mokuba then charged towards Vlad and was shocked when he was pinned to the wall. "You're strong Mokuba, but you don't have your brother's endurance."

Kaiba stood up and grabbed Vlad's arm, "My brother is not the one fighting Gozaburo. I am, so refrain from putting your hands on him."

Vlad used his other hand and grabbed his shirt, "I could rip your heart out without a second thought. Your brother should be able to protect himself," Vlad let go of his shirt and continued, "as should you. You have been holding back on me and I want to know why? Why are you not using your power?"

"Reading my opponents mind to find out their next move is cheating. I want to win this fight fair and square. I want to prove that he no longer has a hold over me," Kaiba explained.

'I knew I was making the right choice,' Vlad thought to himself. Vlad then said, "Kaiba, I am going to make you an offer. After your wedding, there is a small town right outside Tokyo, Sophie and I own a farm there. If you meet me there for three hours to train, every day before work. I can promise you that you will be ready for the fight. "

"I will be there," Kaiba said.

"Good," Vlad replied. Vlad pulled his shirt back on and continued, "I suggest you two go clean up. The rehearsal is in less than an hour."

…

As the girls arrived back to the hotel room, Mai told them to come to her room. She had a surprise for Téa. When they got in the room, Mai went digging in her closet. She pulled out a dress bag and a box of shoes. She then explained, "I wanted to give you something that you would love long after the wedding. So, I got you this to wear to the rehearsal dinner."

Téa unzipped the dress bag and found a Marylin Monroe style lace dress. The dress was off white with a plunging neckline. "I can't wait to try it on Téa said as she excitedly skipped to the bathroom."

A knock was heard at the door and when Mai opened it, she noticed Mokuba and James in the doorway. Mokuba was holding a suitcase and a dress bag. "Hey boys, what can I do for you?"

"Grab your bags, we are moving you two to the bridal suite. After the rehearsal, we don't want Seto to see Téa until the wedding." Mokuba explained.

Mai quickly packed her bag and waited for Téa to come out. When Téa came out, she was grinning from ear to ear. "I love it Mai," she said as she twirled around. She ran up and gave her a hug, "I am so happy you are here."

Mai smiled back and replied, "Me too, Téa. Me too."

Mokuba and James helped the girls to their new room and placed her wedding gown and clothes in the closet.

…


End file.
